Strategies for Coping with Parental Conflict: Relaxation, Thoughts, and Distraction
On September 4, 2024, Karey and I met at a local coffee shop and discussed the core coping mechanisms she uses in her therapy practice. I was also searching for the core mechanics for the game. Here’s what we covered:
We acknowledged that our thoughts can shape our feelings, and by recognizing this, we can see that our thoughts are not always true. This insight helps us manage our emotions more effectively, leading to practical coping strategies like relaxation techniques, reframing our thinking, and finding healthy distractions. These approaches support personal growth and help improve relationships with our co-parent and children. Good communication and staying calm are vital in co-parenting, and methods such as labeling emotions and practicing progressive muscle relaxation contribute to maintaining that sense of calm.
A Three-Pillar Approach
This method focuses on relaxation, positive thoughts, and distractions. It helps tailor coping strategies to fit each person. Techniques like progressive muscle relaxation and mindfulness meditation can reduce stress. Positive affirmations and cognitive restructuring can change negative thoughts. Healthy distractions, like exercise or creative activities, offer a way to express emotions and reduce stress. Creating a personal coping plan needs repetition and consistency. By using relaxation, positive thoughts, and distractions daily, you can manage conflict better. This plan can be customized to fit your needs. With regular practice, you can build the skills to handle stress. This improves your overall well-being.
Because your brain is experiencing layer upon layer of sensations and perceptions, you find yourself simultaneously navigating two worlds: the rich, hidden realm within and the tangible reality outside. Each new moment becomes a chance to zoom into that inner space—where emotions, memories, and ideas intertwine—while determining a path forward in the outer world. These layers of inner and outer life shape every choice you make, influencing not only what you decide to do next, but also how you choose to do it. The result is a dynamic interplay of thought and action, revealing that our private perspectives powerfully inform our public realities.
Designing the Experience
In designing this experience, a key priority is to keep positive reinforcement subtle rather than overt, ensuring the challenge remains interesting without overwhelming the user. Coping mechanisms act as the “reusable code,” which hints at the possibility of a large randomized trial to personalize different modules to each individual’s needs. A central mechanic involves dial locks that represent various skills; users must experiment with these “dials” to discover the best fit for each situation, emphasizing the importance of situational strategy selection. Through trial and error, players acquire additional dials and refine their ability to align the right coping skill with the appropriate context. This process culminates in unlocking metaphorical doors—destructive thoughts—that can only be opened with the correct combination of coping strategies, revealing a new “location” or context on the other side.
